Guided hikes make popular activity easy for beginners

For novices, getting into hiking can be as easy as a stroll in the park — or as difficult as you dare.

Hiking is one of the top outdoor activities in the nation, with statistics showing that more than 90 million people take to some 200,000 miles of trails in the United States every year.

It’s one of the easiest and most inexpensive sports, with the basics as simple as sturdy footwear and a couple of bottles of water.

Plus, with obesity rates skyrocketing for adults and children, hiking is a low-impact way to burn calories while enjoying the outdoors.

To encourage participation on its hundreds of miles of trails, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will celebrate the 20th annual National Trails Day on June 2 with guided interpretive hikes at dozens of parks, including Government Canyon State Natural Area and Blanco, Garner, Guadalupe River and Pedernales Falls state parks.

Surveys show hiking is the top activity at Texas’ parks, with some 20 percent of day-use visitors and 17 percent of overnighters hitting the trails.

“Not only is hiking great exercise, but it also relieves stress, gets people outside to enjoy nature and it can be as leisurely or as strenuous as a person wants,” TPWD park public affairs director Bryan Frazier said. “Research shows that the No. 1 most sought-after amenity at a park is hiking trails.”

Dozens of the state’s 94 parks recently upgraded trails or added more, including Palmetto State Park near Gonzales, which received 1,000 feet of new boardwalks and 15 foot bridges over the Ottine Swamp Trail, and a new four-mile trail at Seminole Canyon State Historic Site near Comstock, which features sweeping canyon vistas and 12,000-year-old rock art.

“Guided hikes are popular and we routinely schedule them at many of our parks,” Frazier said. “Park rangers do birding hikes, nature hikes or even star-gazing hikes at night. They give interpretation about wildlife or history while taking in the scenery the parks have to offer.”

On National Trails Day, the special hikes will range from exploring the geology, ecology and natural history of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area to showing how Native Americans used plants for medicine and food at Choke Canyon State Park and learning about the ecosystem of a barrier island at Mustang Island State Park near Port Aransas.

The state parks and national parks, such as Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains national parks and the four national forests in East Texas, offer a vast array of scenery and trails from beginner levels — fairly flat and one or two miles long — to longer and more challenging over steep inclines and uneven, rocky terrain.

“Anything you can do in advance is usually time well spent,” Frazier said. “You can go online and research a park, download a site map and plan your hikes. Once at the park, you can learn more from talking to the park rangers, who have a great knowledge of the park’s flora and fauna and can tell you about the best places to see wildlife and what’s on each trail.”

Beginners should not underestimate the difficulty and the distance of their hikes and the return to the trailhead, said John Koepke, park peace officer and interpreter at Government Canyon SNA in West Bexar County, which has nearly 40 miles of trails.

“Know your limits and respect them,” Koepke said. “If your body is telling you it’s time to turn around, you should have turned around long ago. Shorter is better than longer.”

While most hikers average two miles an hour, remember to factor in breaks for snacks, rests, photographs and sightseeing, he added. Water always is important, especially in the heat of summer.

“There’s no such thing as too much water,” he said.

Any non-breakable container will do, from store-bought bottles of water to refillable sport bottles, canteens or a Camelbak, a backpack with a drinking tube connected to pouch that can hold up to three liters.

“Going early in the morning is important in Texas,” Koepke said. “Heat exhaustion can set in quickly, so know the forecast and heat index and what physical shape you are in.”

Footwear is subjective, but a good hiking boot that comes up over the ankle can help prevent sprains.

“No matter what you’re wearing, though, if all of a sudden you’re feeling something wrong, it’s not going to get better if you keep walking. Look in there and see what it is. You may have to go home if there’s no way to deal with it. Or the next thing you know, you’ll have a blister the size of Miami.”

“The thing I like to plug is a nice hiking stick,” Frazier said. “It can save your knees navigating trails uphill or downhill and can really be a friend to you on the trail.”

Data bank

HIKING ESSENTIALS

• Plan — Study route and level of difficulty and estimate time in and out. Do not exceed physical condition.

• Map of trails and maybe a GPS.

• Water — You can’t take too much. Any non-breakable container such as plastic water bottles, canteens, sports bottles or a Camelbak.

• Sun protection including sunscreen, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat and clothing appropriate for the weather. Check forecast, including heat index.

• Heat exhaustion symptoms —They include profuse sweating or no sweating, lightheadedness, cramps, headache and nausea. Rest in shade, drink fluids and cool skin, face and neck with damp handkerchief. Return slowly to trailhead if possible and seek medical attention if needed or call for help.

• Cell phone and number of park headquarters, although cell service may not be available in remote areas.

• Footwear — Hiking boots that go over ankle area are ideal but any sturdy, comfortable hiking or walking shoes can suffice, depending on terrain.

• Backpack or fanny pack — for carrying snacks and other items, including trash.

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY (JUNE 2)

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will celebrate the 20th annual event with guided hikes at dozens of parks. Entrance fees apply but, as usual, no charge for children ages 12 and younger. A sampling of those in the San Antonio area: